Shreyas Iyer RULED OUT of three-match ODI series against NZ due to THIS reason

Royal Challengers Bangalore batter Rajat Patidar will replace Shreyas Iyer in the Team India squad for the three-match ODI series against New Zealand.

Source: Twitter

Team India batter Shreyas Iyer has been ruled out of the three-match ODI series against New Zealand starting in Hyderabad on Wednesday (January 18). Iyer has sustained a back injury and will miss all three ODI games against the Kiwis.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) named Royal Challengers Bangalore batter Rajat Patidar has the replacement for Iyer in the side.

“Team India batter Shreyas Iyer has been ruled out of the upcoming 3-match ODI series against New Zealand due to a back injury. He will be heading to the National Cricket Academy (NCA) for further assessment and management. The All-India Senior Selection Committee has named Rajat Patidar as replacement for Shreyas Iyer,” a BCCI statement read.

UPDATE - Team India batter Shreyas Iyer has been ruled out of the upcoming 3-match ODI series against New Zealand due to a back injury.

Rajat Patidar has been named as his replacement.

More details here - https://t.co/87CTKpdFZ3 #INDvNZ pic.twitter.com/JPZ9dzNiB6 — BCCI (@BCCI) January 17, 2023

Iyer being ruled out of the ODI series opens the door for Suryakumar Yadav to return to the playing XI after being kept out for the three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka which India won 3-0. Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan are now the favourites to replace Iyer and KL Rahul, who has chosen to skip the series to get married to Bollywood star Athiya Shetty.

Madhya Pradesh batter Patidar has been in fine form with the bat. He scored his maiden IPL century in the playoff game against Lucknow Super Giants to lead Royal Challengers Bangalore to a win last year.

In 51 List A matches, Patidar has a strike-rate of 97.45 with three hundreds and eight fifties. India will begin the ODI series against the Black Caps in Hyderabad with the second game in Raipur and the final one at the Holkar Stadium in Indore.

India’s updated ODI squad against New Zealand: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Shubman Gill, Ishan Kishan (wk), Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, KS Bharat (wk), Hardik Pandya (vice-captain), Rajat Patidar, Washington Sundar, Shahbaz Ahmed, Shardul Thakur, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Shami, Mohd. Siraj, Umran Malik.